taken down

Words taken down

Words taken down is a procedure used in the United States House of Representatives under which words spoken by a Representative may be stricken from the record. Under the House Rules, the procedure may be used if a member uses inappropriate words in debate. According to C-SPAN's congressional glossary, "After the words are "taken down" by the clerk and read back, the chair rules on their suitability. If ruled inappropriate, the member may not speak again on the same day without House permission."

A study by Kathleen Hall Jamieson in 1997 found that requests to take down words peaked in 1946 and 1995, years before or after control of the House changed hands.